Ford truck-design boss leaves for job outside the industry

Pat Schiavone, Ford Motor Co.'s truck design chief, is leaving the company for a job outside the industry. Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans on Monday confirmed Schiavone's resignation, effective Jan. 4.

Dacia Duster SUV: Mark Webber goes Desert Driving (video)

We have video of Red Bull’s Mark Webber playing with the new Dacia Duster in the Desert Dunes of Oman. But it’s not the £9k Duster FWD that holds the most appeal, but the 4WD version that starts from £10,995, even if it does come with steel wheels and a very basic spec. At that sort of price it looks like a real bargain; the perfect ‘DoFor’ car for anyone who lives anywhere near anything muddy or susceptible to snow.

GM returning to leasing with luxury vehicles

General Motors will return to the leasing business focusing on luxury vehicles, but not on a broader basis, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said. "We will get back into leasing, but we are not going to use massive subsidized leasing to drive volume because it's volume without profitability," Lutz said July 29 in an interview with Automotive News. "We'd rather sell less at higher profit than sell more at lower profit." Lutz said it still would make sense for GM to do more leasing on its luxury vehicles.